It’s the Size of the Idea, Not the Agency

The idea is king. If you ask me, and you didn’t so I’m going to write it anyway, it doesn’t matter whether the agency that comes up with the “big idea” is a huge shop with offices on 4 continents or a 5-person shop in Oklahoma. Or in this case Tampa. The truth of the matter is that big ideas are more important to marketers than the size of the agency. At least I would hope so. I am optimistic of that notion however. Recently, Pacific Life called us to work on a very large TV assignment and the experience on both sides was tremendous.

“Working with EraserFarm was an enjoyable and positive experience for Pacific Life. They gave us the opportunity to work with their creative thinkers on our brand advertising campaign project.”

The ideas were what they wanted. All that other stuff didn’t matter. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying the resources a large agency offers aren’t incredible. They very much are. But at the core of everything we do is the idea itself. One person or 3 can come up with ideas just as big and powerful and innovative as a team of 20. You just need to put in the extra work, jump off from a smart strategy and tap into a relatable human truth. A buttload of coffee might not hurt either.

That said, as a partner in a new shop just over a year old, we have run into that proverbial wall of being perceived as too small by clients, some that aren’t even that large themselves. Certainly not as large as a global company like Pacific Life. Conversely, I recently read an article in Forbes in which Will Burns so eloquently stated “There are legions of creative people who go to work every day at big agencies, they win awards, they get paid, they go home. But then there are the creative people who are not only proven creative-firepower, but have the guts to start a company. That’s the kind of creative person you want in your foxhole. Someone who’s willing to put it all on the line for him or herself, and, therefore, for your brand.” I couldn’t have said it any better. And obviously I didn’t. But, make no mistake, this marketing agency will be in that “foxhole” fighting tooth and nail for every client in there by our side.

So raise a glass (or a coffee mug) and let’s salute the power of ingenuity, perseverance and creative thought. Let’s salute the big idea. No matter where or who it comes from.